Becoming Artfully AWARE: Linking Local and International Communities through the Arts. February 2012, New Orleans, USA

“On February 3rd of 2012, the New Orleans Museum of Art opened its doors to host a Friday night with Artfully AWARE (AfA) as a part of our Where Y’Art programming. The event was a visual dream of NOMA’s permanent collection mixing together with the eclectic artwork of children, adults and internationally recognized artists brought in by AfA. During the span of five hours, nearly 2,000 guests came to the Museum to view this unique exhibition. The vibe throughout the night was one of celebration and the love for art. The professionalism and collaboration with Artfully AWARE is something the staff and supporters of the New Orleans Museum of Art will remember for a very long time to come!” Brad J. Caldwell, Public Events Manager at the New Orleans Museum of Art

“This deluge of freshness is a reassurance that we must tap the generation of the future with art in all forms. The creativity of the civic engagement and the collective effort brought together by Artfully AWARE provoked energy that was contagious. The chorus of conversations was infectious, a new sound within the Great Hall that would not retreat. Undisputedly creative, exciting and futuristic, this event was a meeting place for the arts community and interactivity. This is an exceptional project experienced by thousands in one of the largest audiences in one day to the museum. In one evening, education enrichment was witnessed and appreciated by people who have never been inside a museum. The participatory atmosphere included unusual sources of inspiration. Exploring paintings and creative writing from dozens of New Orleans based schools, health centers and community groups that were intertwined among the permanent collection of master artworks. The idea being that the great artist, too, had humble beginnings. It also brought about social reform: by knowing from where you came and walking into the doors of the museum, your work was a part of a whole. The appreciation of the arts proved the global connection between New Orleans and the international works represented from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, England, Egypt, China, Panama, Uganda, Cuba, the Himalayas, Vietnam and Haiti. The person on the street has now been informed about what exists in New Orleans, and the artist can now say with great pride that their works have been exhibited or performed within the New Orleans Museum of Art.” Beryl F. Hunter, Independent Museum Professional

On Friday, February 3, Artfully AWARE took over the New Orleans Museum of Art for a special event. For a night that celebrated the rich diversity of New Orleans, children and adults from across the community and the world contributed artwork and creative writing that was displayed in the Great Hall and surrounding galleries. There were over 100 participating schools, community groups, health centers, organizations and professional artists.

The evening began with a performance by the Mardi Gras Indian tribe, the Guardians of the Flame. Michael Watson, the musical director of Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse, played with his Quartet, cellist Monica McIntyre entertained the crowd and the New Orleans Dance Collective performed an inspiring dance piece based on unity.

Nearly 2,000 visitors interacted with professional writers and artists from A Studio in the Woods, caught a literary reading organized by the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society, listened to original poetry and prose read by students from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, viewed photography that reflects the Sierra Club’s local environmental efforts, heard speakers from the Young Leadership Council and watched short films selected by FosterBear Films that explored human rights issues. One Million Bones, a hands-on art initiative that raises genocide awareness, exhibited a powerful installation that contained handmade bones suspended in water.

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art displayed their Artists and Sense of Place exhibit, which paired students with artists and explored the influence of situation and geography on their lives, and the Contemporary Arts Center’s Teen Board showed a short film about self identity, alongside a selection of handmade masks. All visitors received a booklet of short stories and visual art created by AfA participants.

A special thank you to the New Orleans Hornets for providing tickets to an NBA basketball game for winners of our community and school art competition. Also, enormous thanks to the staff at the New Orleans Museum of Art and to FosterBear Films for putting together a film on our participants’ behalf. Stay tuned!

View our incredible photo album by clicking here.

Read the full participants list by clicking here.